Tanner Melissa J, Hadlow Narelle C, Wardrop Robert
Department of Biochemistry, Western Diagnostic Pathology, QEII Medical Centre, Perth, WA, Australia.
Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2011 Aug;51(4):321-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-828X.2011.01321.x. Epub 2011 Jun 9.
Prolactin is not commonly recognised as a hormone that changes significantly within the menstrual cycle or after menopause. The aim of this study was to determine the degree of variability of prolactin in these physiological states.
Prolactin levels obtained from 6540 subjects between January 2006 and November 2008 were divided into five groups: men, postmenopausal women and premenopausal women in follicular/non-cycling, ovulatory and luteal phases. The median and 97.5th centile was determined for each group. The 97.5th centile was used to define the upper limit of prolactin.
The prolactin median and upper limits were not significantly different in men and postmenopausal women. They were significantly higher in premenopausal women compared to men and postmenopausal women. Within premenopausal women, the prolactin median and upper limits were significantly higher in ovulatory phase compared to follicular/non-cycling and luteal phases and in luteal phase compared to follicular/non-cycling phase.
Prolactin levels varied significantly throughout the menstrual cycle, and the utility and accuracy of prolactin testing may be improved by applying specific reference intervals for each phase of the menstrual cycle. Alternatively, a single reference interval could be used if prolactin is only measured in the follicular phase, well before midcycle. Prolactin levels in postmenopausal women and men were not significantly different, and a common prolactin reference interval may be appropriate. Further studies to confirm formal reference ranges for these groups may be clinically helpful.
催乳素通常不被认为是一种在月经周期内或绝经后会发生显著变化的激素。本研究的目的是确定催乳素在这些生理状态下的变化程度。
将2006年1月至2008年11月期间6540名受试者的催乳素水平分为五组：男性、绝经后女性以及处于卵泡期/非周期、排卵期和黄体期的绝经前女性。确定每组的中位数和第97.5百分位数。第97.5百分位数用于定义催乳素的上限。
男性和绝经后女性的催乳素中位数和上限无显著差异。绝经前女性的催乳素水平显著高于男性和绝经后女性。在绝经前女性中，排卵期的催乳素中位数和上限显著高于卵泡期/非周期和黄体期，黄体期的催乳素中位数和上限显著高于卵泡期/非周期。
催乳素水平在整个月经周期中变化显著，通过为月经周期的每个阶段应用特定的参考区间，催乳素检测的效用和准确性可能会得到提高。或者，如果仅在卵泡期（月经周期中期之前）测量催乳素，则可以使用单一参考区间。绝经后女性和男性的催乳素水平无显著差异，一个通用的催乳素参考区间可能是合适的。进一步研究以确定这些组的正式参考范围可能在临床上有帮助。
